Meteorological balloon



De. 7, 1948. F, A, GASPAR 2,455,469

METEOROLOGI CAL BALLOON Filed Oct. 1, 1946 /NVENTO GASPAR m 4'Tra A/fy APatented Dec. 7, 1948 Mn'rEoRoLoGIcAL BALLooN Frank Albert Caspar, Tiverton,rEngland, assigner to Pak Parachute Company Limited, Tiverton,

England Application October 1, 1946, Serial No. 700,544 In Great Britain October 11, 1945 4 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with the location and ranging of free meteorological balloons by radio echo for the purpose of obtaining meteorological and like readings. It is well known that for efficient operation the object being ranged must be a fairly eliicient electrical conductor to have the required electrical reflecting properties, and the application of an electrical reflecting surface to such balloons has hitherto presented a problem due to the weight of the surface having to be maintained at a minimum, and owing to the fact that the presence of such a surface must not interfere with the free expansion of the balloon resulting from an increase in altitude.

The invention consists broadly therefore in the provision of a metallic or metallised open mesh balloon cover of such a shape and size as to enclose the balloon over more than half its peripheral surface, the cover being so constructed or incorporating means whereby it will adapt itself to any variation in the effective diameter of the balloon and permit of the more or less free expansion of the balloon as a result of an increase in altitude,

It has been found in the course of experiment that in the case of a standard meteorological balloon it is possible to obtain satisfactory results by providing a cover which extends over a little more than half of its peripheral surface, and that the required lightness of construction and good electrical reflecting properties can be obtained by employing an open mesh net composed of nylon `or other suitable material metallised with silver or other good electrical conducting metal.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view looking on the inside of a balloon cover in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a section drawn to an enlarged scale on the line II-II in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cover applied to a balloon;

Figure 4 is a section drawn to an enlarged scale on the line IV-IV in Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan View showing the formation of the cover adjacent the vent; and

Figure 6 is a section drawn to an enlarged scale on the line VI-VI in Figure 3.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated, the cover I is of part-spherical form built up from a number of gores 2, for example six, suitably seamed together, each gore being of a length such that when the -cover is applied to a balloon 3, the latte-r having its maximum diameter such as would result from its reaching a high altitude, the balloon will be enclosed over a little more than half its peripheral surface.

Each seam is preferably as shown in Figure 2, the edges of the adjacent gores being folded over as shown and the seam covered by an inner tape 4 of woven net material which together with the seam is stitched to secure the parts firmly together.

The gores are preferably composed of lightweight open mesh net material which is metallised with a silver or other metallic deposit which will have the required electrical reflecting properties, the seams joining the various gores together extending to a binding vent 5 through which is passed the inflating neck of the balloon, the vent being enclosed by a fabric ring 6 (see particularly Figure 5) which is stitched to the edges of the gores and seam ends as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

To maintain the cover in position on the balloon when the balloons diameter is at minimum, the mouth of the cover incorporates elastic cords 1 (see Figure 6), or is otherwise formed to exert a frictional grip on the balloons surface. To maintain the grip as the diameter of the balloon increases, the mouth of the cover has only a limited degree of expansion which is `determined by substantially inextensible binding tape 8 which contains the cords l and is stitched to the edge of the mouth of the cover when fully extended being slightly less than the diameter of that part of the balloon with which it contacts when the balloon is expanded to its maximum (i. e. when the balloon has reached the highest altitude at which it is required to take readings) so that the mouth of the cover bites into the balloon surface and forms a peripheral channel or recess therein. In this way the cover is maintained in position -on the balloon despite variation in the balloons diameter and its natural tendency to turn or spin during ascent and Without damaging the surface of the balloon in any way.

Alternatively, the tension of the elastic cords may be such that when the balloon is fully expanded, the tension is sufficient to form the peripheral channel or recess, in which case the diameter of the mouth of the cover may be equal to the diameter of that part of the balloon with which it contacts when the lballoon is fully expanded.

I claim:

1. A self-retaining metallic or metallised open mesh cover for meteorological balloons of a size and shape such that it will enclose the balloon over a little more than half its peripheral surface, the mouth of the cover being so constructed that its maximum diameter is a little less than the maximum diameter of the balloon so as to bite into the balloon surface and form temporarily a peripheral channel or recess therein on the diameter of the balloon increasing as a result of an increase in height.

2. A self-retaining cover as claimed in claim 1, including at least one elastic cord being incorporated in the mouth vof said cover so as to exert a friction grip on the balloons surface.

3. A self-retaining cover as claimed in claim 1, including at least one elastic cord being incorporated in the mouth of said cover so as to exert a friction grip on the balloon surface, said elastic cord being located within substantially inexadjacent said mouth.

4. A self-retaining cover as claimed in claim 1, said cover being adapted to enclose said balloon over at least a little more than half of its lower.

FRANK ALBERT CASPAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,329,584 Marinis Feb. 3, 1920 2,151,336 Scharlau Mar. 21, 1939 2,165,610 Boyle July 11, 1939 

